Rokel Commercial Bank (formerly Barclays Bank) was established in 1917 as Barclays Bank DCO with 100% shares owned by the parent company.
In 1971 it was incorporated locally and renamed Barclays Bank of Sierra Leone Limited with 25% shares owned by Sierra Leoneans and 75% Barclays Bank International. The rationale behind this move was to encourage Sierra Leoneans to participate as owners and develop confidence in the Bank.